Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"Hehe! No problem at all. You've helped me so much already, Natsuro. Back then, it was always you helping me, and I couldn't do much for you. Now that I can finally help you, I feel really happy about it," Naruto said, scratching his head with a wide grin after hearing Natsuro's words of gratitude again.

Naruto didn't feel even a shred of disappointment that the Sage Mode he spent so much time learning was mastered by Natsuro in such a short time. Instead, he was genuinely happy for him and thrilled that he could finally be of assistance.

"Alright, I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen when we get back, so eat as much as you like!" Natsuro smiled.

"Awesome!" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement. Ichiraku Ramen was his favorite food, and there was nothing better than having Natsuro or Iruka treat him to a meal there.

"Natsuro… your Sage Mode…" Fukasaku suddenly interjected, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Natsuro smiled and nodded. "Yes, as long as I don't exhaust my senjutsu chakra, I can remain in this state indefinitely."

Upon hearing this, Fukasaku gasped. Did this mean he had achieved a permanent Sage Mode?

Fukasaku scrutinized Natsuro carefully. Moreover, his Sage Mode appeared to be the most perfect kind, unlike Jiraiya's, which was incomplete.

An incomplete Sage Mode was already incredibly powerful. A perfect one would be even stronger. And if Natsuro could maintain this state indefinitely… how strong was he now?

However, Fukasaku soon reminded himself that Natsuro was already exceedingly powerful even before achieving Sage Mode. Perhaps this development wasn't so shocking after all.

But Natsuro knew better. The introduction of senjutsu chakra brought significant benefits.

Although he hadn't yet had time to deeply explore the nuances of natural energy, Natsuro could already sense its potential wasn't drastically greater than ordinary chakra in terms of raw power.

Of course, by "chakra," Natsuro referred to the purest form of chakra, the kind directly converted from natural energy, rather than that produced internally by the human body.

The real advantage of natural energy lay in its versatility. Theoretically, chakra itself was merely one possible application of natural energy.

Therefore, in terms of raw power, Natsuro believed natural energy alone couldn't surpass the combined might of natural energy and chakra.

That was the essence of senjutsu chakra, a force that combined the best of both worlds.

Most importantly, he now had a blueprint.

Having mastered Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, he began contemplating the other two Great Summoning Lands' Sage Modes.

While the methods and philosophies of the three Sage Modes differed, their core principles were the same.

Given his unconventional approach to training, Natsuro was confident he could master the other two Sage Modes, even without perfect practitioners like Naruto to study from.

In fact, Natsuro had already worked with Sasuke to adjust the cursed seal's senjutsu chakra from Ryūchi Cave.

However, from his current perspective, using cursed seals for such adjustments was a subpar method.

As for the senjutsu chakra of Shikkotsu Forest, that presented its own challenges. Danzō likely still possessed samples of Hashirama's cells, but Natsuro no longer needed to integrate them into his body.

Those cells, while impressive, offered little benefit to his current level of development. What intrigued him was their inherent "Sage Body" properties.

Hashirama's cells didn't contain senjutsu chakra by default, but Natsuro could infuse them with Shikkotsu Forest's natural energy to artificially create it.

Of course, pursuing a more orthodox method to reach that level wasn't impossible, but it would require significant time, which was something he didn't have in abundance.

This wasn't about laziness. The urgency of the current timeline simply demanded expedience.

In truth, he saw his shortcut as imperfect. By skipping many intermediate steps to achieve the final result, he risked creating gaps in his understanding.

To truly progress further, he would need to revisit and master those skipped steps.

Fortunately, knowing both the beginning and the end made filling in the middle much easier.

Knowing what and why was just as crucial as knowing how.

"Good, good…" Fukasaku, having calmed down, stroked his beard with a satisfied smile.

Natsuro's progress filled him with pride. He had watched him grow up, and seeing him now reach such heights of power was beyond his expectations.

Back then, Fukasaku thought Natsuro would surpass Jiraiya but still cap out at a perfect Sage Mode.

Instead, he had surpassed even those lofty predictions.

"Old man, Natsuro, Naruto! Come eat!" Shima's voice rang out suddenly.

Naruto's expression shifted to one of dread, but he reluctantly trudged toward the dining area.

Natsuro, however, felt a tinge of nervousness. Having not visited for a while, he feared Shima might serve him a meal of insects.

Nevertheless, he couldn't just leave now. So, steeling himself, Natsuro followed Naruto and Fukasaku into the room and took a seat.

Shima began serving food for the two humans and one frog.

As expected, both Fukasaku and Naruto were served bowls of insects, while Natsuro's face darkened as he looked at the bowl of bugs in Shima's hands, seemingly resigned to his fate.

However, at the last moment, Shima pulled out another large bowl from behind her. This one was filled with a colorful array of fruits, which she placed in front of Natsuro.

Natsuro stared at the bowl of fruit in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Go on, eat up. I know you're not used to eating insects, so I asked some of the little ones to gather these fruits for you at the last minute," Shima said with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Shima Granny~" Natsuro couldn't help but grin in gratitude.

"Hmph, you don't know what you're missing. Bugs are a delicacy," Shima grumbled, though her expression softened with amusement.

Natsuro broke into a cold sweat as he glanced at the bugs. How could anyone consider these a delicacy? Even in his previous world, the number of people who'd willingly eat insects was few and far between.

Of course, he was aware that some cultures did enjoy insects, but usually after extensive preparation like grilling or frying.

Shima's preparation, however, was more akin to sashimi. Bug sashimi.

As for the idea of grilling them himself? That would only insult Shima's culinary skills.

"Ah!?"

At that moment, Naruto, halfway through a bite of a bug, froze mid-chew. His eyes widened in disbelief as he pointed at the bowl of fruit in front of Natsuro.

After a long pause, Naruto finally swallowed his bite of insect, then loudly exclaimed:

"Why does he get fruit?!"

For a moment, Naruto felt like he was the victim of unfair treatment.

"Because I've always eaten fruit here," Natsuro replied with a smile. Of course, it wasn't entirely true—he would sometimes sneak off to hunt in the forest, as long as he didn't get caught by Shima. After all, fruits alone couldn't sustain him forever.

"Besides, bugs are Shima Granny's specialty. She's treating you to the best delicacy she has to offer~" Natsuro added with a playful wink toward Naruto.

"But… but…" Naruto stammered, still unwilling to accept it. However, he noticed the subtle change in Shima's expression, hinting at her displeasure.

Realizing this might not end well, Naruto sighed in resignation. He remembered he had almost finished learning Sage Mode and would soon leave Mount Myōboku, making this likely his last meal here.

Having already eaten so many insects, what was one more serving?

Naruto braced himself, pinched his nose, and resumed eating.

Natsuro breathed a sigh of relief and watched Naruto's plight. He couldn't help but wonder about the Fourth Hokage, who had also learned Sage Mode.

Surely Minato had also trained at Mount Myōboku, which meant he probably had to eat these bugs as well.

What a pity Natsuro couldn't see Minato's reaction to a plate of bug sashimi, he'd have loved to witness how the ever-composed Fourth Hokage handled it.

After the meal, Natsuro brought Naruto back to Konoha.

Initially, he suggested that Naruto continue training with the Rasenshuriken at Mount Myōboku, given how destructive it was and how easily it could attract attention back at Konoha.

But the mere thought of more meals at Mount Myōboku made Naruto pale, and he vehemently refused. Natsuro chuckled at his reaction but respected his decision and escorted him home.

"Naruto, want to grab some Ichiraku Ramen now?" Natsuro asked, clearly still hungry after having only eaten fruit.

"No… not right now, maybe later," Naruto replied hesitantly. He couldn't help but recall the insects he'd just consumed, and the thought made him queasy. Reluctantly, he declined.

"Alright, then. I'll go by myself," Natsuro said, understanding that Naruto was genuinely put off.

With that, Natsuro made his way to Ichiraku Ramen.

Soon, inside the ramen shop, Natsuro sat contentedly, surrounded by several empty bowls.

Having trained and exercised consistently since childhood, Natsuro's appetite had always been impressive.

It had been a long time since Natsuro last had Ichiraku Ramen. The taste was as good as ever. No wonder Ichiraku Ramen remained one of the most popular spots in Konoha, it truly deserved its reputation.

"Natsuro, long time no see," Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, called out as he walked out from the kitchen after finishing his work.

"Yeah, I've been really busy lately," Natsuro replied with a nod.

"Understandable. After all, you're practically on your way to becoming the Hokage. It's normal to be busy. By the way, I saw Kakashi looking for you earlier," Teuchi mentioned.

"Huh? Kakashi was looking for me?" Natsuro paused, his curiosity piqued as he glanced at Teuchi.

"Yep, hasn't he found you yet? I remember he was asking about you yesterday," Teuchi said.

"I've been out of the village recently. Thanks for letting me know, Teuchi-san. I'll go find Kakashi now," Natsuro said, quickly standing up and leaving as though something urgent had come up.

Teuchi watched Natsuro's retreating figure, shook his head with a smile, and began cleaning up the bowls and utensils left behind.

Natsuro hadn't expected Kakashi to return so quickly.

This could mean two things: either Kakashi had successfully completed the investigation, or the evidence had been entirely destroyed, rendering the inquiry fruitless.

At this moment, Natsuro felt a mixture of anticipation and impatience, eager to find out the results.

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Currently on Chapter 280 - The Nine-Tails Meets A Strange Being